--- title: Slackware Reviews meta\_title: 'Slackware Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta\_description: Filter 33 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Slackware works for a business like yours. aggregate\_rating: rating\_value: 4.4 review\_count: 33 scale: '5' date\_modified: '2026-08-07' parent\_category: name: IT Infrastructure url: https://www.g2.com/categories/it-infrastructure --- # Slackware Reviews & Product Details Slackware is a longstanding Linux distribution renowned for its simplicity, stability, and adherence to Unix-like principles. Developed by Patrick Volkerding in 1993, it is the oldest actively maintained Linux distribution. Slackware offers a comprehensive operating system suitable for various applications, from desktop workstations to server environments. Key Features and Functionality: - Simplicity and Stability: Slackware emphasizes a straightforward design, minimizing unnecessary modifications to upstream software to ensure a stable and reliable system. - Comprehensive Software Selection: It includes a wide array of software packages, such as the X Window System, development tools, networking utilities, and popular desktop environments like KDE and Xfce. - Flexible Package Management: Slackware utilizes a simple package management system that allows users to install, upgrade, and remove software packages without automatic dependency resolution, granting greater control over the system. - Manual Configuration: The distribution relies on plain text configuration files and shell scripts, enabling users to fine-tune their systems according to specific requirements. Primary Value and User Solutions: Slackware's primary value lies in providing a clean, stable, and flexible Linux environment that closely mirrors traditional Unix systems. It caters to users who prefer manual configuration and a deep understanding of their operating system, making it ideal for advanced users, system administrators, and those seeking a customizable and dependable platform. By avoiding unnecessary modifications and automation, Slackware empowers users with full control over their systems, ensuring a tailored computing experience. * * * Seller [Slackware](https://www.g2.com/sellers/slackware) Discussions [Slackware Community](https://www.g2.com/products/slackware/discuss) Solution Type Best-of-Breed Show More ## Value at a Glance Averages based on real user reviews. ### Time to Implement 1 month ### Return on Investment 20 months [ View More Pricing Information ](https://www.g2.com/products/slackware/pricing) ## Top-Rated Alternatives [ ![Debian](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Debian") Debian 4.6/5(223) ](https://www.g2.com/products/debian/reviews) [ ![Gentoo](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Gentoo") Gentoo 4.1/5(38) ](https://www.g2.com/products/gentoo/reviews) [ ![CentOS](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "CentOS") CentOS 4.4/5(425) ](https://www.g2.com/products/centos/reviews) [ View All Alternatives ](https://www.g2.com/products/slackware/competitors/alternatives) ## User Insights Average based on 33 real user reviews. Implementation Time 1 month Perceived Cost $$$$$ [Log in to unlock pricing and user insights](/login) ![Verified User in Telecommunications](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Telecommunications") AT Verified User in Telecommunications Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 12/15/2021 "My Slackware Review" 4/5 What do you like best about Slackware? The installer for Slackware is very simple, clear, and works well even with the most basic display/monitor. There were no screen resolution issues or incorrectly displayed text. The system is quite stable and booted pretty quickly. I love the custom console fonts! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? The setup required a fair bit of "hand holding" and may pose an issue for persons who are relatively new. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Recommendations to others considering Slackware: The setup can be a little daunting. However, documentation is easy to lay a finger on (www.google.com). It definitely helps if you are aware of disks and partitioning. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? Slackware has helped to solve the need for a name resolution server, DNS, for an internal network. The NMS required the function of mapping network device names to IP addresses. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More 6/15/2022 Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Information Technology and Services](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Information Technology and Services") UI Verified User in Information Technology and Services Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 1/6/2022 "Simple Software design processing" 4/5 What do you like best about Slackware? Slackware is easy to use for any user, in any organization just about and is excellent for increasing experience level with the use of this platform to perform higher functioning processes. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? Slackware often crashes and, due to that reason, needs frequent updates to constantly stay up to date, which is a plus as well. Users can choose installs in any way they prefer, which is also beneficial. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? Slackware creates a server and a desktop, appealing to the consumer and valuable to organizations. Many other operating systems do not allow this benefit of choice like Slackware does to remain consistent. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Dmitri R.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Dmitri R.") DR Dmitri R. Senior Linux Platform Software Developer Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 1/19/2021 "Slackware maybe is not for everyone. It just works." 4/5 What do you like best about Slackware? Slackware is simple, flexible and extremely customizable. Slackware encourages Linux-way attitude and KISS principle. It does not require high end hardware and can be installed in very restrictive environments. Slackware is very stable and gives the user full control. Most packages are available in "slackbuild" form - the programs can be installed by compiling in place, thus providing the best compatibility with the system. It is very light on system resources. A minimalistic setup can run on very old hardware, so there is no need of constantly upgrading the workstation. This is probably the only Linux distribution that can be run straight out of the box. The uptime is measured in years and only limited by hardware endurance. The installation is very fast, usually it takes only 10-15 minutes in order to have a fully working system. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? It takes a while to setup if there are some unusual tools required. However this is very minor and for a seasoned Slackware user this is not a problem. The learning curve is quite steep. However once you learn Slackware, you actually learn Linux (which does not work that way at all with the mainstream distros) It takes a while to setup if there are some unusual tools required. However this is very minor and for a seasoned Slackware user this is not a problem. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Recommendations to others considering Slackware: Slackware is for those who: 1. Need a distro that just works 2. Prefer to start working straight away 3. Okay with initial learning 4. Know (or want to know) their way around Linux Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? I use it mostly for system, microcontroller and kernel development. No-frills setup allows a fully focused work, not being interrupted by system updates, annoying pop-ups and unexplained stalls. Slackware is designed primarily for developers, all the base tools are included with the default installation. The kernel supplied with the system is unmodified which makes upgrades easier and protects from too clever "optimisations" found in other distributions. Slackware by default is very accessible, with all communication tools preinstalled: ssh, telnet, nfs, rsync, etc. This is a perfect platform for working remotely. I use Slackware on ARM due to it's simplicity, small footprint and stability. it is very convenient to run and update on an embedded system. It is easy to port between devices, since the Slackware's main principles usually stay the same. Slackware includes many software packages. I use LaTeX to produce documentation, Gimp and ImageMagik to edit pictures, vim to edit source code and gcc to build software projects. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Information Services](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Information Services") AI Verified User in Information Services Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 1/25/2021 Business partner of the seller or seller's competitor, not included in G2 scores. "It was an awesome distribution, but since there is no support and no updates it is very old OS" 3.5/5 What do you like best about Slackware? It was most stable OS for my services - mysql, apache + php, mIRC servers, perl scripts. I started learning linux with this distro (2005 - 10/10.1 version). Currently I still have 4 servers which are running wonderful - there are no downs since they were installed. I have servers with these versions: - 12.1 - 14.2 - 13.37 Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? Back then (2005-2010) I remember how hard was with manually configure each service you want to install. The main thing I currently dislike about Slackware is that they stopped supporting this amazing distro. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Recommendations to others considering Slackware: Wait for new release... Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? The problems which slackware solves are mostly - stable and fast OS. This is the main benefit we got at 2021. Other distros ubuntu,debian,centos are not so stable as slacwkare in our opinion. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Current UserValidated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Răzvan T. C.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Răzvan T. C.") RC Răzvan T. C. Psychologist Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 1/17/2021 "The fastest and oldest breed of Linux" 3.5/5 What do you like best about Slackware? I have been using Slackware since 1999. It runs extremely well on older hardware due to Pat's iron fist hold on the distribution. GCC compiles fas, the packages are from the "stable" branch and everything is thoroughly tested before release. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? Slackware is ideal if you want something "pure" to run on your server but the repositories are small and you HAVE TO compile stuff if you want stuff on it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? I can fine-tune the distro to fit my needs but it does take time to do so. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Semiconductors](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Semiconductors") AS Verified User in Semiconductors Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 5/18/2021 "A streamlined OS for Linux nerds" 4/5 What do you like best about Slackware? It provides the optimized performance with the minimal number of packages. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? It's a pity that no newer version is available now. The deployment of slackware needs some Linux background. The learning curve may not be smooth. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Recommendations to others considering Slackware: I'd like to see a newer version rolling out. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? For EDA tool and scientific calculations Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Computer Software](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Computer Software") AC Verified User in Computer Software Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) 10/31/2019 "Not trivial, but extremely reliable" 3.5/5 What do you like best about Slackware? I've been using Slackware from high school and that is already for 18 years and still surprised how reliable Slackware is. I have systems with incredible uptime running Slackware. Moreover, Slackware does not come throwing you all the preinstalled unneeded software or asking million times - Do you REALLY want to avoid installing this? Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? Configuring Slackware is not trivial and it does sometimes lack support for one or another hardware or feature, but eventually it is added. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Recommendations to others considering Slackware: Try it before saying no and if you run into some problem - do not lay hands down. Trust me - it's worth it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? Slackware gives more control over machine than other more user friendly distributions and that is a great benefit when one needs to press everything out from hardware. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Furniture](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Furniture") AF Verified User in Furniture Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) 10/26/2019 "Slackware is stable and fully configurable OS" 4/5 What do you like best about Slackware? I used Slackware as Internet gateway, firewall, web server and this OS in all situations was trable-free, do his job flawlessly. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? In all situations I installed softwares from sources, as I didn't know automated software installer (like Suse) Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? Now I use Slackware as web-server and DB-server in one box. Also I realised in this server some scripts in bash, which downloads and parses information every day. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ![Verified User in Hospital & Health Care](/assets/icons/anonymous-avatar-purple-4ae1032bdb50ee5682003170c8184aee790d25958bd397abbd384ba52c596a7b.svg "Verified User in Hospital & Health Care") AH Verified User in Hospital & Health Care Enterprise (\> 1000 emp.) 10/29/2019 "Better understanding of linux fundamental and OS components" 4/5 What do you like best about Slackware? The capability and freedom to change and configure and anything and everything with your OS and the potential for learning deeply of each components in Slackware as your OS Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What do you dislike about Slackware? being isolated from mainstream linux (debian and redhat based) making installation and implementation for big application such as Corosync, Pacemaker, DRBD making it hard to configure Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. What problems is Slackware solving and how is that benefiting you? lightweight OS on low end database server Review collected by and hosted on G2.com. Show More Validated ReviewerIncentivizedSource: G2 invite ## Questions about Slackware? Ask real users or explore answers from the community Get practical answers, real workflows, and honest pros and cons from the G2 community or share your insights. [ Ask about Slackware ](https://www.g2.com/products/slackware/discussions/new) GU Guest User • Last activity about 4 years ago Is Slackware a good distro? 1 Upvote 1 [ Join the conversation ](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-slackware-a-good-distro) ![Syafril R.](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Syafril R.") SR Syafril Rinaldo • Last activity over 5 years ago what is the best way to have OS selection Startup with slackware on the list ? 1 Upvote 1 [ Join the conversation ](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-best-way-to-have-os-selection-startup-with-slackware-on-the-list) [ View all Discussions ](https://www.g2.com/products/slackware/discuss) ## Pricing Insights Averages based on real user reviews. ### Time to Implement 1 month ### Return on Investment 20 months ### Perceived Cost $$$$$ [ View More Pricing Information ](https://www.g2.com/products/slackware/pricing) Slackware Comparisons ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_d8ee572841e069ed16147ca23a2b9144/debian.jpg "Product Avatar Image") Debian 4.6/5(223) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/debian-vs-slackware) ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_5f16753475167e839437a4e56cf422ba/gentoo.png "Product Avatar Image") Gentoo 4.1/5(38) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/gentoo-vs-slackware) ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/small_square/small_square_c773254455f8ca157da56a0fb65a0396/centos.png "Product Avatar Image") CentOS 4.4/5(425) [ Compare Now ](https://www.g2.com/compare/centos-vs-slackware) ## Work at Slackware? 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